Instrumentation

The Carter Mountain Brass Band uses the Drum Set, Timpani, and a full battery of "traps" including Cymbals, Triangle, Tambourine, and many others.

The tuba is derived from the 18th century Serpent and the Ophecleide, and bass Saxhorn. In about 1828, the tuba appeared in German military bands. Tubas come wrapped in a compact or a more open pattern with heights varying from 33 to 48 inches and is approximately 208" in length. Tubas are played with 3, 4, 5, or 6 rotary or piston valves. Our tubas have upright bells. Our tubas were made in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Russia.

Many brass bands use both baritones and euphoniums. The baritone is nearly identical to the euphonium with the exception that the baritone is basically cylindrically shaped and has a smaller, brighter tone. We use euphoniums in the Carter Mountain Brass Band. The Euphonium is a tenor tuba with approximately 9 feet of tubing. It was invented by Sommers of Weimar about 1843. The root derivation of the word comes from the Greek meaning "well sounding". The Euphonium has an upright bell and has a distinctive warm tone quality.

The trombone, at approximately 104", is the only relatively cylindrically shaped instrument used in the brass band. It uses a cup shaped mouthpiece. The trombone is derived from the Medieval "Sackbut". But the slide, or the principle of elongating a brass instrument by tubes within tubes, has been credited to Tyrataeus in 685 B.C. The trombone has traditionally been used to depict heroic emotions, sacred calm, martial glory, and tragedy.

Although most brass bands use alto horns, we choose to use French horns because of their beautiful lyric tone quality and superior intonation. The French horn consists of brass or nickel silver tubing wrapped in a coiled form. The instrument was first developed in France in about 1650 from the "Cor de Chasse" or hunting horn, and has been known as the "French horn" since at least 1750. The "double horn in F/Bb was introduced in 1897 by the German horn maker Kruspe. The mouthpiece is funnel-shaped. There are 4 rotary valves played with three fingers and thumb of the left hand. The right hand is placed in the bell, and is used to shape the pitch and tone quality.

At the beginning of the 18th century in Germany, the flugelhorn was a large, semicircular, hunting horn, of brass or silver, carried by the Flugelmeister, who directed the various phases of a proper ducal hunt. The flugelhorn resembles a cornet but with a wider, conical bore. The flugelhorn is built in the same Bb pitch as cornets. It usually has three valves and employs the same fingering system as other brass instruments. It can thus be played without too much trouble by cornet players, though some adaptation may be needed to their playing style. It is usually played with a more deeply conical mouthpiece than cornets.

The Eb Tuba is somewhat larger than the Euphonium and somewhat smaller than the BBb Tuba. The Eb tuba plays a 4th higher than the BBb Tuba.

The BBb tuba is the true "bass" instrument of the brass band and provides the harmonic foundation.

The Bass Trombone is essentially the same instrument as the Tenor/Bass trombone only with a large bore and bell, and has an extended lower range because of the F and Eb rotors which is played with the thumb of the left hand.

The tenor/Bass Trombone utilizes a rotor played with the thumb of the left hand while the slide is manipulated with the right hand. The "F attachment allows for a greater lower range and provides alternate positions for the trombonist.